Sweet Dreams, Silvana
by Lufthexe
Summary: Sophia's been having trouble sleeping, and it's keeping the crew awake. How can Alex help her? AlexSophia
1. Chapter 1

The darkness of the night was slowly ebbing into the only room that had remained lit. Most of the crew on the Silvana had already receded to their quarters, either to sleep or to play cards with their crewmates. Only one man remained awake and working, trying to make some sort of a lead in his ongoing search for Exile.

Alex straightened the papers on his desk, trying to keep some order in all of the chaos. His research had come to a grinding halt, as all possible information on Exile had been dissected and processed, yet gave no leads to his investigation. Alex leaned back in his chair, going over all the data he had acquired slowly and methodically in his head. He leaned his head back casually, his wavy raven locks falling to the side of his face and caressing his ears. He grimaced, as one of the tresses remained strung across his face. He cared too little to reach up and move it, and yet, it irked him to leave it there. Though his trivial thoughts were soon discarded when a soft moan broke the silence of the night. He blinked, surprised, and soon heard another moan, louder this time; disturb the peace of his study. He lifted himself from his chair, sweeping his cape back in one fluid motion, and walked slowly to the door of his office. He opened the door, stepping out into the chilliness of the hallway. He silently berated himself for bothering to see what had caused the disturbance. Why did he think it had concerned him? Just then, a deafening scream reverberated off the hallway walls. Alex followed the sound quickly, yanking open the door and racing over to where the dark figure lay. He could tell by the silhouette that it was a female, and his long strides quickly took him to the side of the bed. She had quieted, for the moment at least, and his eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room, slowly at first, until he could clearly see who's room he was standing in; Sophia's. He stood momentarily, unsure of what to do in the present situation, until a pain-filled cry escaped from her lips once more, contorting her tan face into a look of horror only her deepest fears could create. Alex swiftly reached down and shook her, stopping her terror-filled scream and rousing her from her slumber.

Her emerald eyes sparkled as they opened, moist with tears, and she gasped, surprised to find the Captain in her quarters. She instinctively brought the sheets up to her chest, covering her modest apparel. The camisole top she wore was loose on her shoulders, and, much too her horror, the strap slipped playfully down her shoulders. The moistness in her eyes had converged into a single tear, gracefully slipping down her right cheek. A blush had graced her tan cheeks, turning them a rosy pink. What was Alex doing in her room this late? Why had he woken her? All these questions raced across Sophia's mind, only making her blush more severe.

Alex stared at her for what seemed like an hour, his lifeless eyes seeming to bore into her skull. She fidgeted, uncomfortable in the awkward situation that it had become, and cast her eyes aside. "Was I…was I snoring?" She stuttered, tightening her hold on the sheets. He smirked inwardly, her naiveté amusing him. So she really hadn't remembered her dream. He sighed inaudibly, and turned towards the door. Sophia looked up, suddenly aware that he planned on leaving her, and whispered, "Al..Alex?" as if the simple statement would make him stay. But he continued towards the door, resting his hand on the handle and turning, ever so slightly, to say,

"You were screaming in your sleep."

He opened the door then, and left quickly, leaving Sophia alone once more, to burn with embarrassment, and fear. Fear of the dream that she had just endured.


	2. Chapter 2

Sophia tried to ignore the fact that Alex had just been in her room, tried to pretend that nothing had happened, and that it had all been a bad dream. But a bad dream was what caused all this, wasn't it? The rosy stain upon her cheeks slowly began to abate, but the torrent of thoughts that she was enduring remained constant. Surely she should be able to remember what had caused her to cry out in the middle of the night, but nothing she did could make herself remember.

And suddenly, the darkness of the night seemed to converge around her, enveloping her in its suffocating grasp. She whimpered, frightened, and squeezed her eyes shut, trying in vain to block out the fear the blackness seemed to evoke within her heart. How she wished Alex had stayed just a bit longer, even if it was only so she could feel as though she wasn't the only person living on the heartless metal ship.

Alex walked soundlessly back to his office, trying to ignore the fact that he had just seen his co-captain in her night garments. Which were considerably smaller than the black Silvana uniform he was used to her wearing. But no matter how clothed, or unclothed, Sophia was, it did nothing to outwardly affect his unfazed gaze. And though he thought about the moments before he had shaken her awake, it did nothing to soften his hardened eyes. He was still the emotionless captain of a traitorous air ship, and he was a lover to no one. No one since Euris.

Alex entered his room once more, closing the door firmly behind him. Further disturbances to his study would not be tolerated, he silently told himself. But even as he tried to sit back down and continue to research Exile, his hypocritical mind wandered to the image of a his subordinate, completely out of her element. Maybe it was the way her long brown hair had hung down past her small shoulders, or the way her eyes glistened with apprehension at the sight of him, but Alex could not tear his thoughts away from her, and the way her eyes had softened once she realized who was standing over her, protecting her from any possible harm. How wrong she had been, for the only reason he bothered to awaken her was for his own selfish desires. Was it wrong for him to wish so strongly for the tranquility of the night? Surely he had deserved this one indulgence, but a small part of his mind still urged him to think more of the situation. Sophia was not one to be easily frightened, and the cause of her cry was surely more significant that the lack of progress he was currently making with his research. His papers could wait for a while longer.

Alex stood up once more, this time shedding his wraith-like cape, and exited his study as soundlessly as he could manage. His long strides soon carried him to his destination, positioning him right outside of Sophia's quarters.

Sophia shook silently, her blankets drawn up to her neck as she sat, poised in quiet anticipation of every danger that lurked in the shadows. She had long since remembered what had caused her to cry out in the night, what had aroused Alex from his ponderous study, and what currently caused her to quake at the thought of being alone in the darkness. But the dream was meaningless now; the darkness was the only thing that Sophia could focus on, though it was the single thing she wished she could shut out of her mind. Curling into the covers of her bed, she buried her face into her pillow, trying to fall back into what should have been the serenity of a peaceful night's rest. But she could not stop thinking of him for just one second. But when had she ever been able to forget him? Had there ever been a time when she had stopped caring about what he thought of her, a single moment when she had thought solely of her own feelings and not about him? She cried softly into her pillow, she was so tired of being alone, and not having him caring. But she couldn't stop the affection she had for him; there was no way to get over him. No matter how he treated her, she would always care only for him. And this only saddened her further.


	3. Chapter 3

Alex wondered silently why he was doing this, why he was bothering to check in on her. But something inside of him had convinced him of the importance of returning to Sophia's room, if only to look at her in a fit-less sleep. But after he slowly pushed open the door to her room, he couldn't help but notice the soft cries coming from where she lay, curled into a ball. He padded over to the side of her bed, where he could see her face in greater detail. The tear stains upon her cheek were fairly visible in the dim light, even though most of her face was buried into her pillow. She didn't acknowledge his presence in her room, though Alex was sure she had heard him enter. Her crying ceased as soon as she realized someone else was in her quarters. She looked up from her dampened pillow, the fear in her eyes clearly visible to Alex. She hurriedly tried to wipe away the tears that clung to her eyelashes, not fully succeeding even with her most vigorous efforts. She looked away, embarrassed of her own weakness, though he showed no reaction. He remained motionless and mute, watching her with an intent stare.

Suddenly, with no warning, he sat down on the edge of her bed next to her, lowering himself to her level, his towering height no longer a factor of intimidation. She looked at him, shocked, and unsure of what his might action might be. He had always been so cold to her; why would he come back? He kept his gaze down on the old mattress, not wanting to meet her eyes, not sure that he could explain to her why he was here. There was no logical reason; the only thing that had made him come to her was the emotional pull, which was beyond Alex's scope of understanding. When he finally did raise his eyes to meet hers, she had moved away slightly from him, still slightly afraid of his reaction. He silently berated himself for scaring her further; that was not his intention. He meant to comfort her, not bring her back to the state of terror he had originally found her in. Not sure what else to do, he moved to her side, wrapping his arms around her softly and bringing her to his chest. Her eyes widened, but the only sign of shock Alex could feel was her sharp intake of breath. Her shoulders were tense; she was unused to such a submissive position, not used to this softer side of Alex that no one had ever been allowed to see before. Gradually, she relaxed, her senses returning, and pressed her forehead against his chest. She wasn't sure what had made him act in such a way, but she would not be the one to question it. For one night, she would forget the jaded captain who piloted the heartless monstrosity Silvana, and take comfort in the arms of a man whose embrace could wipe any fear from her heart. She would stay with him, with this changed man, and let him hold her, touch her, do whatever he pleased. For she had given him her heart since long ago, and to finally be noticed by him was more than she could ask for.

A/N

Thank you to

Alory Shannon and

Vea Universe

Who reviewed my second chapter


	4. Chapter 4

Sophia's eyes fluttered open, the soft light from the morning sun filtering in through the blinds on her small metal window. Instantly she remembered the events of last night; her fear and the embarrassment Alex had provoked. These thoughts were soon disregarded, though, when Sophia realized whom she was sleeping with. Alex was leaned back against the headboard of her small wooden bed, a most uncharacteristic expression traversing the features of his face. He looked almost peaceful, a look most foreign to him; his dark hair covered his eyes and streaked across his cheek. Sophia was overwhelmed with their proximity, his arms still pressing her close to his chest. Hoping not to wake him, she gently laid her head back against his shoulder, understanding that he had sacrificed his own obsessive research and study on Delphine and the Guild solely for her comfort; the thought alone causing her heart to swell with affection for him. The balanced beat of Alex's heart, accompanied by the steady rise and fall of his chest was enough to lull Sophia into a euphoric state, where she could imagine that she woke up like this every morning, his breath tickling her ear, their bodies entwined. Alex grunted softly, shifting slightly back, his grasp tightening just enough to induce the same elevated state of embarrassment she had achieved last night. His scent was intoxicating, the rich masculine fragrance his skin emanated the most enthralling aroma she had ever encountered. The heat from the sun's vibrant rays streaming through the window warmed Sophia's skin, and she was sure Alex was beginning to become uncomfortable in his captain's garb. The crew, too, was beginning to rise from their slumber, the soft patter of footsteps and low murmur of voices echoing in from the hallway. Sophia was now certain that he would never wake, that they would end up spending the entire day in each other's arms, the hours fading away into oblivion as she was coaxed into ecstasy. Unfortunately, it had to come to an end eventually, and after a few more rapturous moments, Alex awoke, noticeable to Sophia only through the change of pace in his heartbeat.

Alex looked down at the small figure nestled into his chest, wondering how he had spent the entire night, and most of the morning, tangled together with both the blankets and his subordinate. Never in the ten years had he been alone had he slept so soundly, and so comfortably. Removing one of his arms from the tight embrace to swipe away a few locks of hair, Sophia looked up at him, her green eyes glimmering with an emotion he had long seen vacant from her visage. All reasoning and doubt that had clouded his mind on why he had stayed the night now cleared, her gaze effectively wiping his mind of the troubles that had so recently been the top priority. His head dipped slightly, closer to her ear, and Sophia could feel her face heat again. "Sophia," he whispered gently, her eyes widening in acknowledgement of his utterance, her chin still resting on his torso. He inched his face even closer, to where his lips were almost touching her earlobe, the light jasmine scent of her hair wafting through his senses. She waited for his next remark, her breaths coming only in shallow wisps, anxious to hear what he would say. "Get dressed," He breathed gently, a slight grin encasing his face, hoping she wouldn't take offense to his demanding request. She smiled, though, understanding from his embrace and tone of voice that he meant no disrespect. He released his deathly grip from around her form, letting her maneuver deftly out of the tangle of sheets and limbs, his eyes following her movements as she tread lightly across the room to her wardrobe. She turned to look at him over her shoulder, aware that his gaze was still on her, and her body flushed along with her face, prompting him to leave his comfortable lounge in her bead and close the gap between them. "Don't make me wait," he murmured while striding past, a degree of his normal demeanor returning to his voice, yet the mischievous tone still remained, and the smirk that had been plastered to his face all morning still lingered.

One more chapter to go!

Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me!


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